Syracuse Professor Dr. Boyce Watkins Compares BET To KKK

After watching the three hour television event, Syracuse University professor and founder of the Your Black World, Dr. Boyce Watkins, penned a column detailing his distaste for rapper Lil Wayne and the network’s support of the Young Money emcee, while comparing Viacom, BET’s parent company, as operating with the same agenda as the Ku Klux Klan.

A piece from Dr. Boyce Watkins’ column entitled “BET Has Officially Become the New and Improved KKK” reads:

The Ku Klux Klan has been regularly criticized for encouraging violence against African Americans and terrorizing our community.

But the truth is that the Klan doesn’t have much power anymore, and their thirst for African American blood seems to have waned a bit.

At the same time, Lil Wayne and artists like him have made a habit of encouraging black men to shoot one another, to abuse or murder women, to consume suicidal amounts of drugs and alcohol and to engage in irresponsible, deadly sexual behavior.

Watkins goes on to point the finger directly at BET saying, “the executive committee for the BET Awards made the interesting decision to give the greatest number of award nominations to Lil Wayne, the man who said that he would (among other things) love to turn a woman out, murder her and send her dead body back to her boyfriend.

Oh yea, he also that he would kill little babies, have sex with every girl in the world, carry a gun on his hip and “leave a N***a’s brains on the street.”

The Syracuse professor later touched on the affects he believes a network like BET supporting an artist like Lil Wayne has:

As a result, black men are the most likely to die from gun violence, mass incarceration continues to decimate black families, drug addiction and possession ruins black lives in droves, and HIV is the leading killer of black women.

So, the truth is that Lil Wayne-like artists and the corporate armies producing this weaponized genocide have killed more black people than the KKK ever could.

So, by accelerating, financing and supporting the “Lil Wayne gospel” to a community that is already dying, BET has effectively positioned itself as a new and improved version of the KKK.

Dr. Boyce Watkins does have a point. Even though you have to give BET credit for attempting to reduce its misogynistic images by taking BET Uncut off of the air (or maybe that’s just me…I kinda liked BET Uncut).

But placing the blame on BET and an artist like Lil Wayne is only attacking the surface of much more deep rooted problems within the urban community.

Although, I guess you have to start placing the blame somewhere, huh, Doc?

Dr. Boyce Watkins’ latest column isn’t his first attack at Lil Wayne.

Just last week, Watkins read an entry entitled “Why I am Ditching Lil Wayne Completely,” where he broke down the lyrics to Lil Wayne’s “We Be Steady Mobbin” as brainwashing listeners to follow in the violence state of Weezy’s lyrics.

At least Dr. Watkins is consistent.

Read Dr. Watkins piece, “BET Has Officially Become the New and Improved KKK,” in it’s entirety here.

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shell

hummmm interesting…

Tonto Kawalski

Cant put all on Lil Wayne alone. We can make a whole list of artist besides the ones in Cash Money. The stupid fans who support that crap carry some blame too. If they dont buy the music or go to the concerts, the artist die a slow death. Case in point: Anyone heard from Lil Jon and Ying Yang Twins lately. How about Bonecrusher? Ask Filthy Cent how’s his sales doing lately?

champhf

i came in here ready to be mad because this dude was black also but after reading this artical i think he is 85% right. and only because you cant blame little wayne alone.

Agreed. I couldn’t watch 1 minute of Ghetto Fest 2011 on BET. I wouldn’t mind seeing the true performers on the show. Just can’t bare to have to watch all of the lame A$$ rap in between the true performers. Simply stated, we went from true hip-hop like Public Enemy and NWA…which stood for something……to Lil Wayne and Nicki Garbaj bucking and cooning. Today’s hip-hop is weak in every aspect and it stands for absolutely nothing

Tonto Kawalski

The problems I’ve had and seen with black businesses in the community is that they try to get every single cent out of you and ridiculously overcharge you. Then service is sometimes very unprofessional or not sufficient at all. Young black youth need to take advantage of all the free training and education they can get. If you can become a well paid athelete, more power to you. But at least learn how to count and invest your money. If you wanna be a rapper, then I really dont know what to say. Just understand if you gonna rap about shooting people, you gonna get shot.

UPDOWN

It’s deeper than “Lil Wayne” People should get an award if you can even understand what he’s rapping about.I never understood one word that little bastard said, because I don’t speak that monkey language.For the people that support “Lil Wayne” all I have to say is better you than me. I got a life to live and a bigger world to do business in, I do not spend one cent on black ignorance.

Ronny

I don’t support lil wayne at all. Nine out of ten the people who buy his music think that the guy is on some deep poetic stuff but really that’s a gimmick. He’s brainwashing you into believing his lyrics are a blueprint to masculinity and howe to become cool. I don’t spend one sent on his music and I boycott ask rap except for some. Only ne-yo soul and r&b gets my money that I work for.

Ronny

I don’t support lil wayne at all. Nine out of ten the people who buy his music think that the guy is on some deep poetic stuff but really that’s a gimmick. He’s brainwashing you into believing his lyrics are a blueprint to masculinity and how to become cool. I don’t spend one sent on his music and I boycott asll rap except for some. Only ne-yo soul and r&b gets my money that I work for.

Winta

People that are tired of hearin the garbage music thats being put out if u aint heard of dee1 by now look him up he is gonna single handedly bring real hip hop back im tellin u you will not be disapointed

tesha3190

You can blame the parents and other individuals all day long but the person committing the crime was given a choice to choose. God said train a child in the way he shall go, but he still chooses his path. And there is a sermon that actually breaks down this rap and hip hop in such a profound way. That i understand where Dr. Boyce is coming from and i totally agree

Ayanna

I agree with him. I understand where he is coming from & I know that it doesnt just ends with lil wayne or BET.
Yesterday was my daughter’s 5ht grade graduation. During the cermony there was a speaker who had walked and worked with Dr. MLK. He was told the children, among other things, not to listen to music that promotes violence, disrespect women, or uses the N word. Well, after the ceremony and during the reception the DJ was playing the exact same music.